Reza, an aviation enthusiast in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, who travels frequently to Tehran, Shiraz and destinations abroad, said that the planes in the country were "really old".

"Although planes are the safest means of transportation, I'm usually cautious when I want to get plane tickets. I usually check the status of the planes flying to my destination. There have been times when I have travelled long domestic distances with train or bus, just because I haven't been sure about the planes' safety status," he said.

Under decades of international sanctions, Iran's commercial passenger aircraft fleet has aged, with air accidents occurring regularly in recent years.

Following the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Iran signed deals with both Airbus and Boeing to buy scores of passenger planes.